Page 12 of Knot My Type

"Eliana," I repeat. "I need you to listen to me, okay? This storm is getting worse, and your car isn't safe. I'm going to get you back to my truck, and then we'll figure out the next step."

"I can't," she says quickly. "I mean, you don't understand..."

"I understand perfectly," I say quietly. "You're an omega going into heat, stranded in a blizzard. And I'm a beta who's not going anywhere without making sure you're safe."

The word 'beta' seems to calm her slightly. Betas are safe—neutral, steady, not driven by the same biological imperatives that make alphas dangerous to an omega in heat.

"The nearest town is still forty miles," I continue. "And this storm isn't letting up anytime soon. I know this isn't ideal, but right now, getting warm and safe is the priority."

Eliana stares at me for a long moment, and I can see her weighing her options. Finally, she nods, though her hands are trembling as she reaches for the door handle.

"Wait," I say. "Do you have a bag? Anything you need from the car?"

She points weakly toward the back seat, where I can see a small suitcase and another rucksack. It’s heavy real heavy.

“Have you got a dead body in there?”

She side eyes me, and I remember that this is not the time to be making jokes, so once I get her belongings out of the car I quickly return to help her get out of the car.

The moment she stands, her legs nearly give out, and I catch her automatically, one arm sliding around her waist to steady her. The contact sends a shock through my system—not the overwhelming biological response an alpha might have, butsomething deeper, more complex. She feels right in my arms, like she belongs there.

"Sorry," she mumbles against my shoulder. "Heat makes me... everything feels..."

"Don't apologize," I say firmly. "You're doing great."

The walk back to my truck feels like it takes forever, though it can't be more than thirty yards. Eliana leans heavily against me, her breathing becoming more labored with each step, and I find myself practically carrying her by the time we reach the passenger door.

I get her settled in the truck, cranking the heat up as high as it will go and wrapping my emergency blanket around her shoulders. She immediately curls into the warmth, and I try not to notice how small and vulnerable she looks against the worn fabric of my seat.

"Better?" I ask, settling into the driver's seat.

She nods, though I can see she's still shivering. "Thank you. When the car went off the road, I thought maybe..."

"You don't have to think about that now," I say. "You're safe."

As I put the truck in gear and carefully pull back onto the road, my mind is racing. I've been heading to Millbrook to meet an omega who might be compatible with my pack. Instead, I've found Eliana, whose scent is already weaving itself into my consciousness in ways that feel profound and permanent.

This isn't the time for those thoughts. Right now, she needs care, safety, and stability—all things I can provide, regardless of any potential future complications.

"Where were you heading?" I ask, as much to keep her talking as to gather information.

"Millbrook," she says quietly, and my eyebrows rise in surprise.

"Millbrook? In this weather?"

She flushes deeper, and I catch another wave of her scent—embarrassment mixed with hope. “There was supposed to be renting a cabin. Then someone said that there was a pack too, who is in the area who may be interested in….”

The pieces click into place with stunning clarity. She's the omega we've been going to meet. The universe has a sense of humor.

"A pack looking for an omega?" I ask carefully.

"Yes." Her voice is barely a whisper. "I know it's unconventional, meeting during heat, and I thought if we were compatible, maybe being in heat would help us all know for certain."

I'm quiet for a moment, processing this information. The storm, her accident, the timing—it all feels like something larger than coincidence.

"Can I ask you something?" I say finally.

She nods.

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